The Old Red Lion, Milton Keynes

An attractive pub at the centre of the village, it looks very inviting with it’s hanging baskets along the front and there are great views across the valley from the beer garden at the back. The area is a popular spot with walkers and this means it can get very busy in the summer months. Inside, it’s divided in to two rooms with the one on the right being very much more geared up for dining as all the tables were laid up for food. The left hand bar is a square room with red carpet on the floor, a few quarry tiles around the bar counter and chunky pine tables. There are a few small oak strips on the ceiling and a brick fire-place to one side which had piles of logs stacked up ready for the cold weather. A number of artistic wildlife drawings were on the wall, and there was also a plasma stuck up next to the fire-place, although this was not in use on my visit. Clientele appeared to be predominantly workman types stopping for a pint after work. This seemed rather at odds with the character of the pub, and made for a less than relaxing appearance with their loud voices and laughter. It may of course be completely different at other times though. The menu offered a decent selection of dishes, although perhaps a cut above your usual “pub grub” with most of the main courses being around the £10 - £12 mark. In addition to the printed menu, there was a specials board that listed a further half a dozen options. My Thai Green Curry was a decent and tasty dish, although perhaps not the most authentic version of the genre. Beers on tap were Greene King IPA, St. Austell’s Trelawney and London Pride. The solitary cider was Strongbow, unfortunately.